Movement dampers have many applications and uses for controlling the movement of things. Dampers are used extensively in automotive applications for controlling the movement of glove box doors, cup holders, assist handles and the like. Dampers are often used to control the natural gravitational movement of such components, and to provide a desired feel to the movement of the component being controlled. Uses for dampers in assemblies other than automobiles are also known widely, such as, for example, and not by way of limitation, furniture doors and drawers, appliances, electronic components and other assemblies that have doors, drawers and other components that open or close, move in and out, fold up and down, etc.
It is known to provide center consoles between occupant seats in automobiles, trucks, SUV's and the like. In larger vehicles, the center console can be quite large. Often a door is provided on the top of the console having a hinge at the back and a latch at the front. The door is opened by lifting the front edge upward, thus pivoting the door on the hinge at the back. Such console doors can be both bulky and heavy. Opening can be assisted by springs or the like so that the vehicle occupant is not burdened with lifting the entire weight of the door. Movement dampers can be used to lessen the closing force from the weight of the door, thereby preventing the door or cover from falling shut forcefully, potentially causing damage.
It is often desirable for dampers of this type to work in confined spaces, yet provide significant resistance to the gravitational movement of the object. Limited space can require straight line movement. It is known for damping requirements to be in one direction only, with the damper providing significant resistance in the desired direction and with little or no resistance or damping effect in the opposite direction.
In automobile applications it is desirable for a damper to work effectively without adjustment and to perform satisfactorily through many cycles without failing. Also, it is desirable for the damper to be small and operate effectively in a confined space, to minimize the intrusion in the occupant space of the vehicle.
Accordingly, there is need for improved linear dampers.